Kakashi's Kunoichi
by 4rustedhorses
Summary: How well is Sakura going to do when she's been assigned to teach this years sex-ed to all the young students; and be taught a thing or two as well?
1. Chapter 1

**Kakashi's Kunochi**

* * *

"It's fine to express to people your thoughts or individual feelings, but it's equally important not to, such as, project your sensibilities onto someone far less attuned than you," Sakura said, weaving her fingers together. "People should keep perspective of who they are while also keeping perspective of who the other person is and remembering that it's okay to edit yourself if you want someone who is different to enjoy your company."

Kakashi stepped forward once they both realized Sakura's speech wasn't enlightening the children as she had hoped. he put his hand on her shoulder and looked down meekly at the small group of girls, "Don't mess around with each other. Don't purposefully make someone cry. You all don't come from the same homes, so stop assuming there is a _normal _household. There is no proven fact to back up the idea that men prefer longer hair."

"Yes sensei," The girls said in unison.

Kakashi chuckled, giving Sakura's shoulder a squeeze, "Sakura is your sensei!"

He looked at her apologetically, but Sakura knew that Kakashi was loving the attention. "My friend is going to leave now," Sakura said, gripping his arm. He winced as she pushed him in a different direction. "This is flower arranging," She hissed into his ear. "Go bother someone else!"

" I like it," He said, just as calmly as he wished he looked as his former student pushed him out of frame.

"Then go buy a plant!"

Sakura walked back with Kakashi, unbeknownst to her, following at a stealthy pace. She stopped before the group and pulled up the arrangement of flowers she had prepared to talk about before the quarrel between two girls had started, catching Kakashi's attention. She cleared her throat, not understanding why the girls were all so pink in the cheek. "This is the type of bouquet you would want to give to a friend. Lively colors and pastels are great in spring-"

"Sakura-sensei?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes?"

The girl raised her finger to point, "why is that man putting flowers in your hair?"

Sakura went rigid as she turned around to see Kakashi with a handful of daisies. "Go away."

"It's such a nice day out," he protested.

"Oh? Then go get lost on the path of life, again," She said as she flipped his hand, causing the daisies to fall. "I know you and Naruto like to sabotage my life as a hobby, but today is important."

"Why is today important?" he asked, reaching for more flowers, in which Sakura slapped him back.

"I-," Sakura stopped and eyed the group, "I'll tell you later. Just please, go away for now."

"It wouldn't happen to be the day that-"

"Yes," sakura said hastily. "It _is._"

"So, you're going to-"

"_Yes, _kakashi," she mumbled. "Once again, your infinite knowledge has proven itself. Now please, get going."

"Tell me how it goes," he said, rather cheerfully. "I can't believe I forgot about this!"

"We can talk about this later," Sakura assured. "I'll come find you, and you can embarrass me in front of the town."

Sakura turned back to the girls as Kakashi skipped away- not physically, but there certainly was a little skip to his step. She leaned against a tree and fondled the petals of a flower, "I have something planned today, that isn't flower orientated." She cleared her throat again and took a breath, "You probably know, once a year they separate the boys and girls for a lesson-"

Sakura remembered the day when she arrived at their meeting place and Kakashi sent her away to meet up with Shizune and the other girls. She happily left, unknowing that Kakashi was sending her away so that she could learn in-depth, the facts of life. In retrospect; her demise. It not only reminded her that her crotch would look like a crime scene at some point, but, that all the male figures in her life had anatomy. _Re__al _anatomy. Not just the general idea that they pee standing up, or they would crumble if they were kicked between he legs. Shizune was kindly enough to tell her _why_ they went to the bathroom a different way, and _why _they would be in so immense pain with the simple action of an upward thrust. She found it incredible, interesting, and very uncomfortable.

"So, how many of you have learned about the reproductive system?" She asked, sure that she would be screwed over if there was one hand that didn't come up. Her fears became reality when three girls stared at the grass and shook their heads. What else was she supposed to do? So, she began to tell them until their eyes began to shrivel and their ears fell off- metaphorically.

* * *

"You'd be surprised how many girls didn't know a thing about bodies," Sakura said, once joining up with her comrades, and former teacher. "Not just the sexual stuff- I mean everything. One girl didn't even know what an appendix was!"

"Why should she?" Naruto asked. "it's not like we used it."

"It's still inside you body," Ino said, casting a side glance at the group as if to say, _look at this idiot over here._

"Then of all people, Kakashi shows up before I start to tell them," Sakura said, looking at him directly and trying to kill his sheepish expression.

"What do you expect?" Ino asked. "As your former teacher, it's his given right to ruin your life."

"That isn't true, right?" Sakura asked, trying to get Kakashi to speak.

He leaned back in his chair and looked at her with his lazy eye, "Not exactly."

"There you have it," Ino said, reaching past Sakura for a cup. "He's not after your future."

"But overall," Naruto asked, "it went alright?"

Sakura nodded, "Fair enough. I would have rather skipped out, but I think I taught them what they need to know."

"Did you go over safe-sex?" Kakashi asked, causing a strange reaction from the group.

"Lesson number one," Ino cited. "Don't talk about sex around a pervert."

"It's a legitamite question," Naruto pressed on, succeeding his teachers will.

"Two perverts," Ino corrected.

Sakura chuckled at Ino's comment and replied to them, "Of course I did."

"You must be suited for uncomfortable talks," Ino said.

"I'm not one for negative impressions," Sakura said proudly.

"Oh, sure," Naruto snorted. "You hear that, Kakashi? Sakura doesn't like to give negative impressions!"

"Tell that to all my bruises," Kakashi whined.

"Bruises? I have scars!" Naruto said, laughing and bumping elbows with Kakashi as if they had just mastered the art of language and other smart-ass scriptures. Sakura smiled as she took a sip of her drink, watching as the two bonded over their similar interests.

"What did you tell Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi leaned forward, "Mm?"

"What did you tell Naruto on sex-day?" Ino clarified.

Naruto suddenly became a bit stiff, not to mention quiet.

"Don't think I forgot about that day," Sakura said. "I know what I was told, but what did the sex fiend tell my teammates?"

"The usual," Naruto quickly said, before Kakashi had a chance to answer. "Nothing in particular."

"He was shocked," Kakashi said, bumping Naruto's shoulder the same way he had earlier, only with less of a reaction. "You have no idea how naïve-"

"I wasn't naïve!" Naruto protested. "I was perfectly aware of most of those things."

"He wasn't," kakashi said.

"Tell more," Ino giggled, exchanging sly and comic eye contact with Sakura.

"As amusing as this is," Sakura said. "I was more interested in what Kakashi had taught, not how Naruto had reacted."

Naruto quickly understood that Sakura was saving his hide and began to support the conversation, "Tell them, Kakashi."

Kakashi agreed easily, "Well, I started out with female anatomy- in which Naruto had no idea and ask tons of questions. That went on for a bit."

"You know, I don't know why they have to separate the girls and boys," Ino said. "They're teaching the same stuff, and afterwards, they go back together, anyway."

"Most kids would be too uncomfortable to ask questions," kakashi said. "If Sakura had stayed with us when I told Naruto and Sasuke about _everything, _neither one of your guys would have wanted to ask certain things."

"You can't be serious," Sakura said. "I would have been fine."

"Same," Ino agreed. "I wouldn't have shied away. Isn't it more realistic to teach something like with both genders present?"

"No," Naruto said. "It isn't."

"You guys have a point," Kakashi said. "but that's not how things are done, and most people are more comfortable with the way they expect things to be."

"Aren't they supposed to change things?" Sakura asked. "They must not have done the same teaching style when you were young, Kakashi."

"You're right," He groaned. "Mothers told daughters, and fathers told sons."

Sakura looked at him earnestly from across the table, turned her drink from side to side in her hands. By the time Kakashi was at that age, he didn't have a father.

"You did fine learning it on your own," Naruto said before the gap began to feel mournful.

"I'll say," Ino said. "I've heard rumors about you-"

"Ino!" Sakura hissed.

"What?" Ino said carelessly. "Women talk."


	2. Chapter 2

"_Women talk", _Sakura thought to herself, still unable to escape the unlikely icebreaker. How could Ino say such a thing? Perhaps Ino was a little more out going in that area of life, but, was it really right?

Sakura sucked down the rest of her drink and stood from the table, "I'll be back in a few."

"Can you get me another one of these?" Ino asked, tapping the side of her glass.

"I didn't know I was suddenly a waitress," Sakura snorted. "How much am I getting paid?" She took Ino's empty glass and looked down at both Kakashi and Naruto, "You guys, too?"

"Where are you going Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, a little glazed. No wonder; the guy couldn't handle very much alcohol.

"To the bathroom," Sakura said. "Then, I'm bringing back Ino a drink."

Naruto held his glass up, his elbow wobbly. "Better not," Kakashi said, pulling Naruto's arm back down and shaking his head at Sakura.

"He's not good at this," Ino said. "We should teach him how to drink!"

"No," Sakura said coldly. "I know what you have in mind and I don't feel like ending the night with my head in a toilet."

"You don't like that?" Kakashi asked sarcastically. "I always found it quite romantic."

"of course you would," Ino said. "You've probably had sex in a bunch of bathrooms."

"Thank you for that, Ino," Sakura said, wishing her hands were free so she could giver herself a face-palm. This day had turned out to be a very sexual one, indeed.

"That's too unsanitary," Kakashi said, waving his finger back and forth. "No one in their right mind would do that."

"I would!" Naruto sang out, twisting around in his chair.

"He' going to break the leg on that," Sakura warned.

"I'm fine!" Naruto said. "I'm just- happy."

"Too happy," Ino said. "We should take him home."

"I like this plan," Sakura said. "can you carry him, Kakashi?"

"Sure, why not?" He asked, "It's not like I'm tired from a hard day at work."

"We all know you sat around in the park reading," Sakura said. "Don't try to fool us."

"They're smarter than you!" Naruto sneered with a giggle.

"He's weird when he's drunk," Ino noted, turning her head to the side. "He's talking to us, but he's staring at the table."

Sakura helped Kakashi maneuver the idiot on his shoulder and laughed, "I'd love all his opponents to see him like this!"

"They'd never take him serious again," Ino said.

"And yet," Kakashi countered, "We still do."

"I've seen him in his underwear," Sakura said, "And I never doubt him."

"What's so debilitating about his underwear?" Ino asked.

"He like floral patterns," Kakashi said.

"And zigzags," Sakura added.

"How much about our town hero do I not know?" Ino laughed. "I mean, just who the hell is he?"

"He's a goon," Sakura said. "After going on missions with him and seeing him at his worst; that's what I've finally come up with."

"That isn't fair," Kakashi said. "He's just very colorful."

"Is underwear sure is," Sakura scoffed.

"Do you think he's wearing a funny pair now?" Ino asked, stopping the group as they walked by grabbing one of Naruto's dangling feet.

"We're not pulling his pants down in the middle of the street," Sakura said.

"Then, let's go to an alley!" Ino suggested.

Kakashi groaned and looked up at the sky, "Please tell me, you understand how wrong that would look."

"Plus," Sakura said. "He goes commando, sometimes."

"Sakura," Kakashi said. "This is a bit raunchy."

"It is not," Ino defended. "Its slapstick."

"I think the word you're looking for is, racy," Sakura pointed out. "It is the truth."

"It is the, _creepy_," Kakashi manipulated. "We're not going to show the future hokage's underwear to bystanders."

"There's no one around," Ino said. "It's like, three in the morning."

"Three in the morning!" Sakura exclaimed. "I'm never coming out with you guys again."

"Way to stay calm," Ino joked.

"Do you have somewhere to be early in the morning?" Kakashi asked.

"No," Sakura said.

Ino rolled her eyes along with Kakashi, "Are you still on your strict sleeping schedule?"

Sakura shrugged, "It' helps me stay on track."

"What, like bathroom breaks?" Ino taunted.

"Hey," Sakura said defensively. "Don't look at me like that. You know it comes in handy!"

"Does it?" Kakashi chuckled. "Does it really come in handy to know the exact time you will need to pee?"

"Yes!" Sakura said. "It does!"

"You probably really suffered during the war, right?" Ino laughed. "How many times did you pee your pants because you didn't have your precious schedule?"

"You really think that happened?" Kakashi laughed. "Do you think she had to carry around extra underwear?"

Ino covered her face as she and Kakashi openly laughed at Sakura's expense in such an explosive way. "Thanks for a fun night," Sakura said bitterly.

"We're only joking," Ino assured, though, wiping a tear from her eye. "Don't take the other route because of us. You stay, and I'll go."

"Not alone," Sakura said. "It's dark-"

"My house is right there," Ino said loudly. " Across the street."

"Try not to wake everyone," Sakura said.

"No promises," Ino said with a cheep smile. "Goodnight, pervert."

Kakashi nodded silently as he held onto a sleeping Naruto, taking the derogatory name as if it were actually his.

"You know," Kakashi said as soon as they began to move on. "I think I'll talk to Tsunade tomorrow about the idea you proposed."

"What idea?" Sakura asked lazily.

"The one you and Ino had about sex-education," He said. "Maybe it's time things should be switched up, again."

"Really? That would be great," Sakura said. "I think kids would really benefit from it."

"Would you still want to teach it?" He asked.

"I don't see why not," Sakura said. "No one else seems to want to do it, anyway."

"Maybe we could make you the designated teacher," Kakashi chuckled. "Konoha will have extensive knowledge."

"It sure will," Sakura said optimistically.

"Do you have more to teach?" He asked, referring to her group.

"Yes," Sakura said. "I actually have to teach again tomorrow, and I never got my ideas together. I wanted to make it better than today."

"So that's why you were so flustered about the time," he said, connecting the facts with her details. "Ino would have gone off on it."

"Exactly," Sakura said. "She was a little personal tonight, with talking so much about you."

Kakashi looked away, "I suppose."

"Don't be bashful," Sakura said. "She was trying to get you to talk about yourself. It was inappropriate, and you know it."

"It could be interpreted that way," He agreed."But, there isn't anything wrong with talking about sex."

"No, but she was too nitty-gritty," Sakura said. "She wanted a story that we all know you wouldn't have wanted to tell."

"Probably not," He said. "I'm too shy."

"That's a good thing," Sakura said. "I don't want to know about your sexual escapades."

"You might be pleasantly surprised," he said.

"I'm not into erotica-"

"No," Kakashi laughed. "I mean, I haven't slept with as many people as you think I have- or at least what Ino thinks. I'm not like that at all."

"Good for you," Sakura said, feeling as though Naruto could hear the conversation.

"Is that Naruto's home?" Kakashi asked, squinting in the dark.

Sakura nodded, " He keeps a key under his mat."

"How would you know that?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. "Someone's been a naughty girl, haven't they?"

"I steal his pans," Sakura laughed.

"Naughty, naughty," Kakashi sang.

"Don't worry; I use protection!"

"What kind?" Kakashi provoked as he got further away from her.

"Cooking oil," Sakura said. "Generously."

"Spray-on?"

"Non-stick."


	3. Chapter 3

"How do you organize?" Sakura asked, throwing a handful of grass in Kakashi's general direction. His face was shaded by his book, and the lot of the grass landed atop the cover. Sakura pulled her knees up and balanced her notebook on her legs as she reached over and jabbed his shoulder with her index finger.

"Do you want my attention?" he asked blatantly.

Sakura tapped her pencil against her book and scratched away the last thing she had written. She waited for Kakashi to pull himself up and take her notebook before talking. "From one teacher to another-"

"Good god," Kakashi snorted. "It's all chicken scratch."

"Not there," Sakura pointed, landing her finger randomly on a spot of the paper and taking it away before he could evaluate what she was pointing at.

"You used to do so well with assignments," Kakashi reminisced. "What happened?"

" What do you mean, _what happened?"_ Sakura snorted.

Kakashi glanced over at her and shrugged, "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Well, I asked Ino for help and she made me realize that I need someone more laid back," Sakura stated.

"She told you that?" Kakashi questioned.

Sakura grunted, "After she insisted on a live demonstration I decided I need help from a different sort of person."

"You've got to look at what you've got here," Kakashi said. "You have one day out of three weeks to teach this class to the students. That's a spread out amount of time. You're best path is to make sure you go over subjects each time so they don't forget."

"They aren't going to forget," Sakura said. "It's not like they're fish, or something."

"You'd be surprised," Kakashi said. "Anyway, fish actually have a higher brain capacity than they are given credit."

"That ahs nothing to do with any of this," Sakura said.

"With the training they do in regular school and their daily lives, they are bound to forget some information," he pressed on. "this also gives them time to ask any questions they didn't get in during the last class."

Sakura nodded encouragingly, but he didn't go on. "Are you going to help me?" She finally asked.

"With what?"

"All of it," Sakura said, making sure to smile along the way

"Okay."

"R-Really?" Sakura asked.

kakashi put her notebook back in her lap and flipped through his book, "Why wouldn't I?"

"You're lazy," Sakura said bluntly.

"Be that as it may," Kakashi said, "I can see you're struggling."

"I'mnot that far off," Sakura said. "Just a little confused is all."

"Say no more, I can see you're troubled," He said, turned back to his book.

"How are going to help me if you're reading?" Sakura asked. "That's not a very logical-"

"No one said I was a logical person," Kakashi said.

"Apparently not," Sakura grumbled.

"What are you teaching them tomorrow?"

Sakura turned to anew page, "I didn't know you were going to jump in like that-"

"Didn't you already go over the big picture of what you would teach them on the first day?" he asked, still not taking his eyes off the words on his own pages.

"I don't remember telling you that," Sakura said. "I mean, I did tell them, but-"

"So naturally, your next move is to go in depth with the first thing you brought up to them," he said.

Sakura furiously wrote out what he was saying, "Slow down-"

"Do you have any ideas? If Ino brought up a idea for a demonstration maybe that could be your route-"

"Please slow down," Sakura said uneasily. "I can't write very fast."

"Then hand it over," He said.

"I'm not going to let you do everything," Sakura protested. "It's unethical."

"What about me screams _ethical?"_ Kakashi chuckled, taking the notebook from her hands.

Sakura grabbed the other side of it, "But _I _have ethics."

"I praise you for that," Kakashi said, pulling the notebook away and sneaking her pencil from her other hand. "How about you let me figure this out and I'll give it to you by the end of the day."

"You're turning over a new leaf," Sakura said suspiciously. "Why?"

"I don't need a reason to help my student," Kakashi said.

Sakura eased up to her feet, "I love how you're helping me more now than when I actually _was _your student."

"It's easier when no one's telling me to do it," Kakashi hummed.

"So, you're like a rebellious teenager?" Sakura chuckled.

"A bit," Kakashi agreed. "Less pimples, but more bite."

"Good to know," Sakura said. "I'll be at home today doing flower stuff so you can just bring it by whenever."


	4. Chapter 4

"I need some dirt," Sakura said, pushing her list to Ino. "And seeds."

Ino disappeared behind the shop and appeared with a bag over her shoulder, "Is gardening your new hobby?"

"It might be," Sakura said. "I've decided that I like flowers."

"What a coincidence," Ino snorted. "So do I!"

"Funny," Sakura said sarcastically. "do you have any tips?"

"Gardening," Ino said slowly. "Water and sunlight."

"Nothing else?" Sakura asked.

"Well, you could throw a dead fish into the soil," Ino said. "It smells a bit, though."

"You're pulling my leg," Sakura said.

"I would never sabotage your garden," Ino said. "We're adults, Sakura. If I wanted to ruin something of yours I could simply kick it off your window sill."

"Kick _it?" _Sakura asked. "_It _as in, flowers- right?"

"What else would I be talking about?" Ino asked, searching through a box with assorted packets of seeds. "Unless you have something to tell me, of course."

"I have nothing to tell you," Sakura said. "Why do we always end up talking about secrets when I come to the flower shop? I just want dirt and seeds."

"What secrets do you have?" Ino asked.

"Didn't you hear me? I just want dirt-"

"_And_ seeds," Ino said. "I heard you. Cash or credit?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "What do you think?"

Ino took Sakura's credit card and slid it through her machine, "How much have you racket up on this thing, anyway?"

"Only a some," Sakura said ambiguously.

"The hospital not paying your bills?" Ino asked, handing the card back.

"Not really," Sakura shrugged. "I've got it all handled, though."

"Really?" Ino asked "You know, if you need help with anything I'm here."

"You and Kakashi both," Sakura groaned. "He offered to do my whole schedule, you know?"

"That's weird," Ino said. "What did you say when you turned the offer down?"

"I didn't," Sakura chuckled. "Why would I pass up that offer?"

"Because your a humble person, Sakura!" Ino said. "You can't let him do your work for you."

"Why not?"

"It doesn't seem right," Ino said slowly. "Beside the point, don't you think you should be handling your own affairs?"

"I am handling them," Sakura said. "You just told me a minute ago that you would help me if I needed it, so why can't Kakashi?"

"I was talking about living situations," Ino said.

"I don't need help," Sakura confirmed. "I'm absolutely fine. You won't ever heard from about that."

"Do start being humble now," Ino said. "I half expect you to ask me for help after hearing what you're letting Kakashi do."

Sakura pushed the seeds into her pocket and grabbed the soil, "You're making me sound manipulative. I didn't ask him to do it, Ino."

"I know," Ino said. "I didn't mean to make you sound bad. I'm just a little worried."

"Don't be," Sakura said. "I wouldn't ever want to put you guys into a weird position just to help me out."

Ino smiled, "don't let the soil of your flowers get dry and the pots should always be a little heavy from water."

"Thanks, Ino-chan," Sakura laughed.

"Some plants with the long stems do better hanging in showers from the water," Ino added.

"You should publish a gardening book," Sakura suggested.

"I wouldn't know what to put in it," Ino said.

"Sure you would," Sakura said, heading towards the exit. "I'll give you a call if I have any questions."

"Good luck!" Ino called.

* * *

I feel like writing short chapters... Mwahaahhaa -.-"...


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura lifted her head in unison with Shizune as the pitter-patter of rain broke the silence in their shared office at the hospital. They both looked at each other as Sakura pushed her chair out to get a better look. She walked past Shizune, breaking their eye contact as she peeled the blinds apart to peer outside.

"Rain," Sakura said lightly as she watched the wave of grey droplets pleated across the street. As she pulled the blinds up she came into contact with her own reflection; pink hair framing her face, and pale green eyes. "Have my eyes always been this pale?" Sakura asked, turning to look at Shizune.

Shizune shrugged, "It's probably just the glass."

Sakura nodded and let the blinds fall closed. She sat back into her chair and groaned, tipping her head back and looking at the ceiling, "I'm going to call it a day."

"Sure," Shizune said lightly, "We got a lot done."

"How are you not drained?" Sakura laughed.

"I'll probably go home after I finish writing up this report," Shizune said. "I'm not sure I can handle another hour of this, especially now that the rain has started.

"It's like a lullaby at this time of evening," Sakura agreed. "I hope it's still raining when I go to bed tonight."

"It will," Shizune assured. "It's the first rain after summer."

Sakura gathered her things into her bag and looked at Shizune apologetically. Shizune had been at the office longer than Sakura had, and was still under the weather from the flu. It might not have made any sense to come a place of recovery when battling an illness, but she had to commend Shizune for having dedication. "You should stay home tomorrow."

"I have too much to do," Shizune said. "Don't worry about me."

"I'll do it," Sakura said. "You're going to infect us all, and kill yourself in the process."

"Is that supposed to be a friendly gesture?" Shizune chuckled.

Sakura smiled and looped her arm through the strap, "Heal _yourself_, doctor."

Shizune smiled and shook her head at Sakura's humor, "I'll leave my key under my desk."

Sakura zipped her bag closed and pushed her chair in, "Do you think I'll be able to set my plants out?"

"Don't plants like rain?" Shizune asked.

Sakura shrugged, "I suppose it won't hurt them."

"Well, thanks for coming in today," Shizune said as Sakura prepared to leave.

After Sakura had gotten her potting mix and seeds, she had planned on setting everything up, however when she got home there was a note left on her door. "When work calls," Sakura shrugged. "Unless I want to get fired, I really have no choice."

"I'm happy you were able to come in and help me," Shizune thanked. "Now that the academy started up, we'll be expecting a lot more."

"Unfortunately for us," Sakura chuckled. "Bye."

As Sakura left she took a few moments to looked into the rooms as she passed them, seeing that most of the bed had somebody under the covers. Mostly children with broken arms waiting rot heir parents to get off work, Sakura knew they must have enjoyed the attention from the staff. The other nurses loved children, and the children were smart enough to keep the smiles to score free pudding and juice.

After looking outside, Sakura scanned the waiting room for a rogue umbrella. When none were to be had, she took the hardiest magazine she could find- one ironically about gardening- and covered her head as she dashed out into the rain. She wore the matching black heels that Tsunade had gifted to her for her 21st birthday, and soon realized how inconvenient it was to have open toed shoes whilst walking through puddles and mud. The shoes made her taller and more feminine, but they certainly could not equal the boots she used to sport. Somewhere in the back of her closet, Sakura knew that if the rain proceeded to the next day, she would ditch the heels for the boots so that her feet could be saved from the cold.

"Road closed until further notice," Sakura read out loud, shivering behind a road block. She didn't remember road work being under way when she took the same route earlier, and definitely could not understand what in the world they would need to do for a simple road like this one. Inconvenienced, Sakura trotted away to a separate direction past the memorials, and near the training grounds. The city was dead in this rain, and she wondered how many families were watching as the kunoichi ran aimlessly around in the rain with a limp magazine above her head. Her clothes were a shade darker than before and her hair clung to her face just as the fabric did to her skin.

At some point the rain had gotten so thick that she had to stop and wait under a tree for I to lessen. While she stood there she contemplated just how effective the magazine had been to keep her dry after finally being able to realize how wet she was. She tossed the soaked magazine into a waste basket and crossed her arms over her chest. "Unbelievable," She cried out, kicking mud from her shoes, seeing the familiar silhouette of a man. She bravely wandered back out into the rain and reached out to touch his shoulder, "Kakashi-sempai!"

"Oh-Sakura," He said stiffly. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just having a brisk walk," Sakura said, comically stretching her arms. "What about you?"

"I'm on my way home," he said, though looked away as he saw the way Sakura was staring at him.

Sakura was used to his short responces but she knew that he always came there. "You should invest in an umbrella if you're going to continually come out to this monument no matter what the weather. You're going to die."

"That escalated quickly," Kakashi said. "The rain won't kill me."

"It can," Sakura said.

"So why are you out here?" He asked.

"I'm heading home," Sakura said.

"Shouldn't _you _invest in an umbrella?" He asked.

Sakura looked away with a smile, "Do you have my papers you said you would help me with?"

"They're at my house," Kakashi replied. "Do you want to come get them?"

Sakura cleared the water from her face , "N-Now?"

Kakashi nodded, "c'mon, I live around the corner."

Sakura followed behind him, surprised to noticed herself scaling him up from his ankles to the tip of his silver hair. _When Kakashi begins to age, will his grey hair even show? _Sakura quickly stopped herself and focused on the Konoha emblem on the back of his vest. Why was she even wondering something like that in the first place? It wasn't the same sort of passing questions one would get about anther person- it was something she did when she wanted to pursue someone.

"Kakashi," Sakura said abruptly, a sickly feeling in her stomach. "I forgot that I left something- it's important. I-I'm going to go- so just drop off the papers tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

Sakura felt her face flush as he stared down at her with a confused expression, the material of his mask hugging the features of his veiled face. Just the though of it made Sakura's stomach ache even more and she felt nothing else could subside it but running away- and that's exactly what she did. She left him standing there in a confused state because of the utterly _wrong _thoughts she was conducting while he led her to his house. How could she enter his home while imagining what sort of companion he would be, or how he would look in ten years? Nothing like that had ever crossed her mind out of all the years she had known him, and quite frankly, she didn't know what to do about it.

"That can't be natural," Sakura said to herself. "I'm not that girl. I never have been."

* * *

TBC... (the chapter. I'll probably write a second "half" to this...so... stay tuned..) O.O


	6. Chapter 6

Sakura woke to the sound of rain hitting a rooftop. Opening her eyes, the first thing she settled them on was a pair of slippers that were twice her size with a pair of feet in them. _Oh god, _she thought, _I've been kidnapped. _She kicked the covers off and rolled out of the bed, only to see that the feet belonged to Kakashi.

"W-What am I doing here!" She looked around, "I-I was in your bed!"

"Settle down, Sakura-chan," Kakashi said, trying to reason with her temperament. "I can explain-"

"You're- You're perverted!" Sakura exclaimed. "H-How did you get me here-"

"You fainted," Kakashi spoke sternly. "You fainted outside."

Sakura flinched her eyebrows and looked down, "Why did I faint?"

"You tell me," He said. "I would've still been out there if I didn't look back. Why were you running away from me?"

Sakura finished buttoning the shirt that Kakashi had put on her, and pulled the ends down as she didn't have any pants on. "I-I-"

"Why are you stuttering?" he pushed on. "You were doing the same thing before you decided to take off like that- in the rain. What were you thinking doing something like that?"

"What was I thinking?"

"You were soaked to the bone when I brought you in," he said, lowering his voice. "I hope you don't mind that I took your clothes off. I feel a little weird about doing that."

Sakura bit the corner of her lip and shook her head from side to side, "N-No, not at all. I would've gotten sick if you left them on." She obviously felt a bit strange about it and was happy she was conked out when he stripped her.

"I have your clothes hanging up and they should be dry by now," he said.

"Oh, okay," Sakura said quietly. The man had kept her in from getting sick and all she did was insult him. "I'm sorry for what I said," Sakura added quickly. "I appreciate what you did."

"Are you anemic?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

Sakura felt like drowning. "A-Anemic? No!"

"I thought I'd ask since I'd been reading about the subjects you were teaching in that class- just forget I asked anything."

Sakura smiled, catching his eye, "You're so odd."

"I know," He agreed. "I'll go get your clothes."

Sakura grabbed the edge of his bed sheet to cover her legs, and swiftly peeked out his window through the blinds. For a split second she enjoyed the fantasy of having a summer romance and waking up in the guys bed- but she yanked herself out of that as soon as she remembered it wasn't summer and the picture on his shelf was of the team seven group photo. Other variables were different as well; she passed out and he felt obligated to help her.

"I left some breakfast on the stove so if you want it-" he trailed off as sakura reached occross his bed to get her clothes from him. "I'll be out there."

"I'll be in here," Sakura said with an upbeat head nod. "K-Kakashi?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a hair brush that I can barrow?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi pointed towards his bathroom. "I have towels on my shelf if you want to go ahead and take a shower . So, you can just do that, too."

"You sure are hospitable," Sakura said as she walked past him. "At this rate, I should move in and make you my personal waiter."

"As controversially unstable as that opposition sounds, I'll have to turn you down," He said, leading on the doorframe as Sakura slwly closed the door. "I don't take in rent."

"Who said I'd be paying?" Sakura joked as she turned the knob, "And what would be so controversial or unstable about me living with you?"

"I might think you're an idiot if you wouldn't understand why," Kakashi chuckled as he pulled the door closed and left Sakura standing in his bathroom alone and without a response.


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura look down at the paper while the girls gathered for the class, standing irritably as a part of her shirt was still damp. The lot of them sat down in front of her and just stared at her like she was a science project until she finally addressed them,

"Did you girls have a nice weekend?" But as they answered, her mind was elsewhere.

_Sakura didn't know which was worse; the fact that she was taking a showering in her senpai's bathroom, or that she had been wearing white cotton underwear when he had to take her clothes off. Part of her was enjoying the fact that for once something interesting was happening involving an attractive man, but the other part kept reminding her that he had been present for her pubescent breakdowns as a 13 year old- every embarrassing tear she shed when attention hadn't gravitated in her direction. She had to be honest with herself; he was probably imaging that version of her. Did it even matter that she was a mature 21 year old, who had a reasonably stable job? Of course not- because he would probably always see the girl worried more about her hair than her own life._

_"Shit!" She groaned as she dropped his soap dish, the bar launching against the floor and ricocheting in circles around her feet. As she kneeled to handle the slippery weasel, she decided to stay on the lower level in the shower, digging a circle into the soap with her finger nail. As twenty minutes went by of her sitting in his shower smelling his body wash, and having carved into the soap, she decided to get out. She had given everything long hard thought and had come up with a few ways to tackle this situation. She knew that telling him about her little crush on him, was a bad idea. Telling him anything really didn't sound good compared to just insisting on a platonic relationship to her inner self- "We're just friends!"_

_"Kakashi?" Sakura said as she wandered into his hallway. She stopped before him after finding him on his couch, "I'm going to go. Thank you."_

_"You don't want anything to eat?"_

_Sakura caught a glance at his shoulder under the fold of his shirt and directed her eyes on his hair, "I've got to teach that class, still."_

_"Your papers are behind you on my counter," He said, nodding her way._

_She turned around and gave them a look over once in her hands, "You actually did it."_

_"I said I would," Kakashi chuckled. "So I did."_

_"Granted," Sakura said, "You drew diagrams-"_

_"I felt artistic after reading in detail about the reproductive system," He hummed. "You'd understand if you had done the work."_

_"Don't act like I forced you to," Sakura laughed. "I appreciate it, though. I wish I would've had more time to look it over."_

_"Yeah, you know," Kakashi said, standing, "If you hadn't run frantically away from me you would've had all last night to look them over."_

_"I know," Sakura moaned. "I'm a failure when it comes to time management."_

_"Be that as it may, I'm sure you'll do fine," Kakashi reassured. "You have the rest of this month to teach them, and even then you'll still see the class until the end of the year for your flower arrangement."_

_"That reminds me," Sakura said. "You told me you liked flowers, and yet you have none around your home."_

_"I stretch the truth sometimes," Kakashi chuckled. "Don't we all?"_

_"Not about flowers," Sakura said._

_"Don't lie about lying," Kakashi said._

_Sakura began to put her shoes on, "Before I leave, I think we need to get something settled-"_

_"I won't tell anyone what happened," Kakashi said. "Don't worry."_

_"How do you do that?" Sakura asked. "You take words out of my mouth before I even get a chance to say them, and you're always right."_

_"I've had practice," Kakashi said. "I've known you for so long, too."_

_"Don't be surprised if one of these days you can't do that," Sakura said. "I'm getting older."_

_"Yes you are," Kakashi said, earning a fairly pink blush from Sakura. "Let me know how well my notes do."_

_Sakura nodded, "I will."_

_"Good luck."_

_"I'll definitely need it."_

"First and foremost, this is the male sex organ," Sakura said, tapping the paper just where Kakashi had drawn a poorly illustrated diagram. He was no artist. " These are the testicles, and this is the anus." Sakura could've ripped her skin off the way the word _anus _made her shiver- leave it to doctors to give uncomfortable names to orifices on the human body.

"That looks weird," a few of the girls echoed.

"Well, it doesn't look exactly like this in real life," Sakura said, referring to the disconnected lines and faded eraser marks. "It's more like, uh," She rolled her eyes, giving in to the generic example. "It's like a banana, only human flesh and more soft." As if she really knew anything about it. Her skin was so alabaster that it glowed- and so was the rest of her achievements. As Kakashi had mentioned before; sometimes people stretch the truth to make a point.

"The skin on the penis is a lot like the skin on the clitoris, only it's everywhere," She said. "This is where they get pleasure." All she could imagine was Kakashi. _Wonderful, _she thought, _I'm more perverted than he is._


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura focused on the bandage as she wrapped it around Naruto's leg, "Every time you come back you're badly injured."

"That's what happens when I'm assigned difficult missions," He replied dryly, his voice going down a few octaves.

"This will make the fifteenth time you have broken this leg," Sakura said.

Naruto put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed, "I'm lucky I have you, aren't I?"

Sakura shrugged him off, "Take it easy when you get home-"

"Back already?" A voice called out upon bursting into the room.

"Kakashi," Naruto said. "It's good to see you, old man."

"Old man?" Kakashi echoed. "I don't know what this _old _word means."

"Don't let him bully you, Kakashi-senpai," Sakura said. "He thinks he's a big shot because he's broken his leg again."

"The same leg?" Kakashi asked, looking down meekly at Naruto's bandage. "You've been breaking that leg since you first started doing missions."

"I believe I've broken both legs an equal amount of times," Naruto stated.

"No," Sakura said. "Mainly just your right one."

"You can't win a medical argument against a doctor," Kakashi said, nudging Naruto's shoulder.

"I'll tell you what, Naruto," Sakura said. "If you let me break you other leg we can call even."

"Don't let her trick you," Kakashi warned.

"I'm not as dumb as my body looks," Naruto said.

"That's a good quote," Sakura hummed. "_I'm not as dumb as my body looks."_

"See," Kakashi said. "You're worth more than just hurting your poor legs."

"My body heals," Naruto said. "I hardly think it matters anymore."

"Don't get cocky just because you have the Kyubi," Sakura said. "Everyone has a breaking point."

"Speaking of breaking points," Kakashi said. "I need you to check my eye."

"Again?" Sakura groaned. "At this rate, both of you will be deteriorated by the end of the week."

"Be that as it may," Kakashi said, raising his index finger to the ceiling. "I need medical assistance."

"If he goes blind, can I get off the hook for breaking my legs?" Naruto asked, making room for Kakashi at the end of his bed. "I mean, if you think about it-"

"Neither one of you will be off the hook," Sakura said, pushing Kakashi's forehead protector up to reveal his eye. "I've given you both warnings and you never listen."

"I listen," Kakashi said. "Just not very well."

"Are you losing your hearing, too?" Naruto joked.

"Enough with the age pokes," Sakura said, casting a glance at Naruto.

"Sakura's on my side," Kakashi chuckled.

Sakura took a breath as she stared into his eye, "You need to take it easy."

"See, she'll instruct you, too," Naruto said.

"Kakashi has actually been the one helping me out," Sakura said, pointing a small light by his eye. "He's still teaching me good work ethic."

"I'm one to show off," Kakashi chuckled.

"Yes, you are," Sakura smiled. It didn't take a special person to notice that Sakura had been staring into his eye for far to long after giving him her diagnosis.

"What is he helping you with?" Naruto asked.

Sakura snapped out of it and backed away, "The class I teach; he volunteered to help me get my work done."

"I wish you'd help me," Naruto pouted. "Sakura gets all the special treatment."

Kakashi looked down at Sakura for the beat of a second before looking to Naruto, "You might be right."

"Euphoria for me," Sakura said, lightly touching Kakashi's shoulder.

"What does that mean?" Naruto questioned bluntly.

"Sakura's being silly," Kakashi said. "That's what it means."

Sakura smiled and began to re organize the space, "have you looked at the card that Hinata left for you?" Sakura tossed it to him as he shook his head, "Do you ever read them?"

"He's too busy admiring his battle scars," Kakashi said.

"I read them," Naruto insisted. "They always say the same thing, so why bother?"

"Common kindness," Sakura said irritably. "I see you've turned cold on her."

"If she ever came in to see me I might feel more interested," he said.

"people can get really upset when their feelings aren't reciprocated," Kakashi said. "Take a look at Sakura, for example."

"W-Why me?" Sakura asked.

"See how nervous her speech is?" Kakashi said.

"Don't evaluate me," Sakura said. She gathered her stuff- mainly her jacket and her small medical bag, and prepared to leave the room, "If you have any questions, just give me a call, Naruto."

"Wait, Sakura-chan," Kakashi said, slipping off the side of the bed and tailing her out of the room.

"What is it?" She asked, putting her arms through the sleeves of her jacket.

"I was wondering how my notes worked for you" he said, trying to keep up with her pace. "Did they, at all?"

Sakura smirked as she buttoned the fabric closed, "I'm not sure."

"So-uhm-"

"Look whose developed a speech impediment now," She joked. "According to your definition, what're you so nervous about?"

"I'm not nervous," He said, putting his hands in his pockets as they both exited the building. "Do you want me to help you with more notes?"

Sakura looked over at him. _Is this where I say 'yes' and we start an inevitable secret romance? _She preoccupied her response by watching the stairs as they made their descent to the street. _I've read enough romance novels to know that people like to write their fantasies on the paper more than reality.. _She planted her feet on the ground and looked up to him with a smile, _I can dream, can't I? _

"What do you say?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes," She replied. "I'd like that."

She watched him as he raised his hand and put it at the base of her neck, slightly on her shoulder. _Brazen hands. Am I sweating yet? _

"You aren't wearing your gloves," She noticed.

"I like to take them off form time-to-time."

She blinked.

"I see you're wearing a jacket today," Kakashi added.

Sakura looked down at herself, "I figured I should take your advice so that we didn't have a repeat of yesterday."

"It was no trouble," Kakashi said. He trailed his eyes down her neck to his hand and lifted it up, settling it at his side where it normally was.

"I-I'll stop by at your place later tonight?" Sakura asked.

He nodded thoughtfully and pulled at the material on his vest, "Bye, Sakura."

"Peace."

_'Peace'? What a stupid thing to say. _


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm not ready," Sakura said nervously. "Be gentle."

"Oh, shut up," Ino snorted. "Take off your shoes and help me."

"I don't want to," Sakura said.

"you came down here, didn't you?" Ino asked quizzically.

"Not for this," Sakura whined. "I'm not walking in that mud-"

"The whole garden is flooded," Ino said. "Don't you want to save some innocent plants before they perish?"

"They aren't people, Ino," Sakura said.

"They might as well be," Ino said, her feet completely submerged in the mud. "Just for a little while."

"You make me feel so guilty," Sakura said, kicking her shoes off and taking Ino's hand as she climbed down into the pit of once-was garden.

"You're a hero, Sakura-chan," Ino sang.

"For a little while," Sakura said. "In ten minutes I'll be dropping you on your ass- I'm meeting up with Kakashi."

"For drinks?" Ino guessed. "That was fun the last time we all went out."

"Yea- I have him helping me with my notes," Sakura said. "Would you want to go out and do that again some time?"

"Of course I would," Ino said, tossing some flowers into a woven basket by Sakura's feet. "How's this working out for the two of you, anyway?"

"I think it's actually a little fun. I look forward to it."

"Hanging out with Kakashi and talking about academics?" Ino said. "I suppose all strange people need a way to connect."

"Kakashi isn't strange," Sakura said, recalling the exact moment when she had woken up in his bed; _okay, maybe he is-Just a little._

"You can keep telling yourself that," Ino said. "Just pick a lie you like the best and make it your reality."

"Oh, I see you've turn to your angst side," Sakura chuckled. "Are you going through your dark poetry phase again?"

"I'm just so upset about this garden," Ino groaned. "I just put it up, and then the rain came and turned it into a mud pit."

"You left the door open, didn't you?" Sakura asked.

Ino nodded silently.

"Don't give it a second thought," Sakura said. "Maybe it's an omen."

"The garden omen?"

Sakura raised her eyebrow, "What's that?"

"How should I know," Ino said. You're the one who brought it up."

"Perhaps the rain washing away all your hard work is the universe's way of telling you to stick with flower pots," Sakura said.

"But it's so pretty," Ino whined. "A little garden like this- who doesn't want one?"

"Many people," Sakura said. "Beside the fact, how much thought went into building this thing? Even if you hadn't left the door open it would've taken a beating."

"I'm a naïve construction worker," Ino said. "Shikamaru lectured me on proper layout, but I figured it was easier than that."

"C'mon, Ino," Sakura said. "Shikamaru has the equivalence of a dictionary."

"I don't want to talk about my problems," Ino wailed. "Lets talk about yours."

"My problems?" Sakura asked. "I don't think I have any."

"You will," Ino said, smiling warmly, "And I'll be here to enjoy them."

"Some friend you are," Sakura said. " Do you want to stop doing this and walk me across town?"

Ino looked down at herself, "I appear to have turned into a pig. I can't go through town like this."

"There isn't that much mud on you," Sakura said. "I mean, I have it all over my skirt-"

"That's right," Ino said. "You're going to go over to someone's house with dirty clothes?"

"It's only Kakashi," Sakura reminded. "If he sees me in pig-apparel, I shouldn't care."

"I insist," Ino chuckled. "I'm done with this garden."

"You're going to just leave it like this?" Sakura asked.

Ino climbed out and pulled Sakura up with her, "I'll come back to it later when I have more energy."

"Well, where are we going?" Sakura asked.

"To my bedroom," Ino replied. "We're going to play dress up with my clothes."

"How liberating," Sakura said. "I don't look good in purple."

"Everyone looks good in purple," Ino said, tossing a skirt at Sakura after they both hurried through Ino's house.

Sakura held the thing up, "It's awfully short."

Ino smiled, "Welcome to the world of adult clothing."

Sakura put it on and looked at herself in Ino's mirror awkwardly, "We don't share the same style."

"What are you talking about?" Ino choked. "You look great in it!"

"I look like you," Sakura said flatly. "No offense."

Ino came up from behind Sakura and pinned the waistband in, "It's fit better, now."

Sakura stared at the lower half of herself, "I actually look feminine."

"You actually look _hot, _" Ino laughed. "Wear the matching shirt."

Sakura shook her head, "I don't know, Ino. People might actually figure I'm wearing your wardrobe."

"Then," Ino pulled Sakura's shirt down, "Show some neck."

"I'm trying to look clean, not flash my cleavage to the whole town," Sakura said, pulling her shirt back up.

"Well, tell me if anyone says anything," Ino said.

Sakura crossed her arms, "Why?"

"So that I can finally have proof as to why you should go shopping for different clothes," Ino said.

"You're the stylish friend that I have," Sakura pointed out. "I don't think you realize that I am your unstylish friend."

"Can't I try to convert you?" Ino begged. "I want to turn you into the pink haired verson of myself!"

"In most cultures, that's considered weird," Sakura chuckled. "If Kakashi mentions anything about the skirt, then I will let you take me shopping."

"You chose him on purpose," Ino said. "We both know that he's not going to notice."

"Never say never," Sakura joked.

"Hurry up and go," Ino pouted. "Go off into the world and be oblivious to your own appeal."

Sakura put on her shoes and smiled, " I don't care so much about appearances."

"Exactly," Ino whined. "Can't you care a little bit?"

"No."

Ino started at Sakura for a moment, "You're lying."

Sakura finished her shoes and shook her head, "What am I lying about?"

A smile flashed on Ino's face before she opened her door, "You'd better get going, or you'll be late."

* * *

_Thank you for all the reviews :) It's totally awesome to hear from you guys, and I appreciate anything you comment. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that you have a good day/afternoon/night! _

_Until next time!~_


	10. Chapter 10

By the time Sakura had gotten around to leaving Ino's house, it was well into the evening; dark, skim amounts of people outside. If Sakura hadn't trained her whole life to fight off enemies, she would be terrified to walk alone through town in Ino's clothes. The occasional weirdo prowling around it the background, plus the frequent stray cat meow, was blood curdling, but not quite enough for her to ditch her plans with Kakashi. In the event that someone were to attack her she would gladly beat them up with her bag and leave a memorable impression for future reference, just to be on the safe side.

_I feel more weird now than I did a few days ago, _she thought to herself as she approached his small apartment- the obvious choice for a bachelor. The skirt felt too short, and knocking on his door late at night was odd in on its own. _One, two, three, _she counted while knocking. Perhaps too precise, so she added an extra knock- but then that made an even four- _five knocks to be safe._

"I thought you weren't going to show up!" He said as he opened the door.

Sakura chuckled nervously, _I'm not even sure that I want him to notice this skirt anymore. _

Kakashi looked her way and openly scanned her from her toes to her forehead, "Come on in."

She nodded and pulled her shoes off, " I apologize, I stopped somewhere and got a little carried away."

"Ino's house?" he guessed, letting her walk on ahead. "I see that you're wearing her skirt."

Sakura cringed while her back faced him, "Y-yeah? I didn't think anyone would notice."

"it's a little hard not to," Kakashi said.

Sakura pulled her expression together as she sat down on one of the chairs at his small table, "I-It's because I never wear purple, right?" He looked over his shoulder as he closed his door. _Take the bait Kakashi._

"It's-" he paused. "Do you want something to drink?"

Sakura blinked rapidly, "Yes!"

He nodded cautiously as he disappeared into his kitchen, "Is water okay?"

"I'll have what you'll have!" Sakura called out, realizing seconds after how similar it sounded to how she spoke in a bar. "I mean, whatever you have out."

He returned with two cups and set them down on the table, "So I was thinking-"

Sakura stared into the cup and blushed as she could smell that it _wasn't _water.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

Sakura's elbows quickly twitched into movement as she brought the cup to her lips to make up for starting into it for so long, _he gave me alcohol- am I overanalyzing this? _

"Do you want something else?"

Sakura shook her head, "N-no, it's fine. I like it, I mean. It's good."

Kakashi chuckled at her disposition and continued, "What should we work on?"

Sakura set the cup down and cleared her throat, "I let the girls write questions on notecards, and told them that I'd give answers."

"I've heard this method," Kakashi said.

Sakura nodded, "I suppose that means we're in for some strange questions."

"Nothing you can't handle," Kakashi assured.

"This is a _we _effort," Sakura corrected. "You're going to help me answer them."

"I don't think I'll be much use for the specific lady questions," He pointed out.

"They asked all sorts of questions," Sakura said. "Many of them revolving around men."

"They may not like the answers," he chuckled.

"So be it," Sakura said. "I won't lie to them."

"How are we going to do this?"

Sakura ripped a piece of paper from an open notebook and put it in front of herself, "I'll record."

"That should work," he agreed.

She pulled the deck of notecards out of her bag and untwisted the rubber band holding them together, "Question one: does the size of a girls boobs matter to them?"

"I had a feeling that one would show up," Kakashi groaned. "Obviously, men really like breasts," Kakashi's face seemed to lighten, "But I'm a personality kind of guy."

"How do you explain those book you read?" Sakura smirked. "Don't tell me the women all have flat chests."

"That's how I fill that void," Kakashi said.

"Question two: how often do they think about sex?"

The second earned the same comical expression as the first, "All the time."

"That's a burden," Sakura muttered, flipping to the next card.

"I was joking, Sakura," Kakashi said, before Sakura had written his response.

"I know," Sakura snorted, erasing what she had gotten down. "What's your real answer?"

"_Not _all the time," he said, "contrary to popular belief."

"Okay," Sakura hummed. "Question three: What do guys do to relax and why don't they ever want to hang out with me?"

"I like to be somewhere quiet and read," Kakashi said. "I don't like to hang out with anyone when I want to relax, so that includes every gender."

"How do you think other men would answer that?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi shrugged, "Most would agree, I'm guessing."

Sakura scribbled his answer down, "I see."

"What about you?"

Sakura looked up and raised her eyebrows, "Come again?"

"What do you do to relax?" he repeated.

"Oh," She said, "I like to read sometimes, or attempt to take care of plants."

"So you actually pursue flowers outside of the class you teach?"

"Incidentally," Sakura smiled. "Question four: Do all boys want to be fathers_?"_

"I don't know," Kakashi said. "Maybe at some genetic level, we all do."

"I'd like to see that," Sakura said quietly.

"Would you?"

"Question five: What part of a girls body do guys like the most?"

"Everything," he said with a pleasant tone.

"Quest-"

"What is it?" he asked, leaning forward to look at the card.

Sakura held back a laugh, "W-What's your sexual fantasy?"

Kakashi sat back as Sakura covered her mouth with her hands and laughed into it. "I, uh," He scratched the back of his neck.

"We can move onto the next question," Sakura appealed. "We don't have to answer every single one- I probably have about 40 and we'll never get to them all, anyway."

"I mean, I don't mind," He said, trailing off. "Is it appropriate?"

"I don't know," Sakura said. "It might not be, but I don't care if you don't."

"I won't go into detail," he said, and leaned forward with his elbows on the table. "I really want someone to make me cupcakes."

"That's you fantasy?" Sakura laughed.

"Part of it," he admitted. "Don't tell anyone I said that."

"I promise I won't," Sakura said. "None of these answers will go back to you, Kakashi. It's all anonymous."

"Next question?"

"Questions seven:Do guys all like children?"

"I think this is the same girl who asked the fourth question," Kakashi said. He got out of his chair and took his cup with him, walking to his window, "I like children."

Sakura smiled lightly as she saw his mask slide down the back of his neck and crease as he took a drink from his glass. She kept her eyes on him and reached out for hers but instead knocked it over. "I hope this doesn't stain!" She wailed as she slid from her chair onto her knees and began poking at the dark circle on his light-colored rug.

He looked back at her and Sakura caught a glimpse at his lower lips before he pulled his mask up and strut across the room to aid her, "You're clumsy."

"You should know this," Sakura said, rushing to his kitchen and coming back with a bowl of water. "That's dark- what was it?"

"Red wine," he replied simply, taking the water from her and pouring it over the spot. "It likes water," he confirmed as they both watched it grow.

Sakura laughed and put her hand on his head, "We're both pathetic people."

Kakashi turned to look at her and grabbed onto her arm to pull himself up, "Can I hold you responsible for this?"

"No," Sakura replied bitterly. "It's your rug. So is the wine and the cup that it spilled from."

"You aren't mine, though, and you were involved," he pointed out.

Sakura tipped her head to the side, "I saw your lip, Kakashi."

"So?"

"I had a hard time looking away," She said. "Can I see it again?"

"No."

Sakura raised her hands and pinched the fabric between her fingers, "I won't tell."


	11. Chapter 11

Sakura wanted to see his face more than she could express- was there a mole, or a funky tooth? She wanted to see and she was so close to it. Her hand held the fabric uneasily and he wasn't moving away.

"Are you going to look?" He asked.

Sakura flinched and loosened her grip, dropping her shoulders. "I can't do it," She finally said. "It-it's one of those things that I can't do."

"Why not?" He asked with a chuckle. "You can if you want to."

She did. A lot.

"I feel like it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the village," She said with a curt smile. "Everyone wants to see, so why do I get the privilege?"

Kakashi stepped away from her and kneeled down t pull his rug out from under her. She stumbled back and helped him roll it up while he spoke. "I haven't got a clue what goes on in the world of women," Kakashi said. "To be completely honest; it frightens me because one moment you're making me sweat and then you jump to making me laugh."

Sakura toyed with her fingers, "I make you sweat?"

"All women make me sweat," Kakashi said. "A mixture of sexual prowess and insecurity."

"That's unfortunate," Sakura scoffed.

"I'm sure you're genuinely worried," He said, tossing the bundle across the room and out of the way. "Either that, or you just don't know what you want."

"Probably," Sakura said lightly, almost cynical. "I have a couple more questions then I'll leave for home if you want to get back to them."

"I've never been to your house," Kakashi hummed, taking his previous seat and waiting at the table for Sakura.

She had a remark ready, but decided against it. "Question- er," she pasued. "I don't know what questin this is."

"You don't have to," Kakashi said, "Unless the girls are grading you on your organization skills."

Sakura smirked befor clearing her throat, "How can a girl know if a boy is into them?"

"Sweaty palms," Kakashi said, leaning into his hand after settling his elbow on the table. He fixated his gave on her while he elaborated, "Girls would know if he's sweating, because he'd probably try to touch her."

"Isn't that a little inappropriate?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi reached over and brushed her hair from her forehead, then picked invisible lint on her arm. "Twice in one moment," he said. "Not everything is sexual, Sakura, and men know how to be sly about contact."

"I'm a dirty old pervert," Sakura joked, "What else do you expect?"

"That _would _explain why you read all those adult novels and let young girls into your house late at night," he mused, catching himself short.

"It takes an idiot sort of girl to even agree to that," Sakura said.

"With my girlish pink hair and short skirt," Kakashi imagined, "The pervert would never expect that I could take him down with one punch."

Sakura's lip curled up into a nasty grin, "Y-You think I could take you down?"

"Of course," he said. "You've caught me in my vulnerable state."

"This is vulnerable?" Sakura thought aloud.

"Next question?"

"Why are boys so mean?"

Kakashi maneuvered around in his seat, "We're honest, not mean."

"Are boys serious when they say they love you?"

"I should hope so," Kakashi replied simply. "Anyone is capable of lying, so I can't speak for everyone."

"You're right," Sakura said quickly.

"Not always."

"Do guys cry?" Sakura couldn't help but smile. "Do you ever cry, Kakashi?"

"When I chop onions," he began, "And whenever I watch those late night specials."

Sakura's heart dropped a little as she flipped back to the first card she had read, "That's all."

"Oh," Kakashi said, surprised. "I didn't think we'd go through that so quickly."

"I-I was thinking about something," Sakura said as he began to scoot from his chair.

"What is it?" he asked, turning back around.

"Would you want to actually come with me to one of the classes?" She asked, spotting the fabric of his mask pinch as he bit his lip underneath it.

"What would I do?" he finally replied after the short silence.

Sakura leaned forward, "You could answer their questions."

"Didn't I just do that?" he asked, nodded down at the stack of cards.

"In person," Sakura clarified. "I'm sure that there's lots they would want to ask."

"Why are you so sure?" he said, actually standing from his chair this time as he had previously planned. "I feel like I would end up standing uncomfortably at the sidelines."

"Not with these girls," Sakura said. "There isn't a shy bone in any of their bodies."

Kakashi sighed passively while Sakura eagerly stood from the chair to be at his level, "I'll try to stop by."

"Don't make it sound like a chore," Sakura laughed, putting her things back into her bag- messily.

"I don't mean to," he insisted. "I'm trying to help you, not slow you down."

"You couldn't slow me down even if you tried," Sakura said over her shoulder. "I do this thing, when I'm into my work, where I become a powerhouse."

"Well, I applaud you for your efforts," he said lightly. "I'll see you at the park tomorrow." Sakura hung her bag from her shoulder and held her hand out to him. Kakashi looked down at it and shrugged, "Aren't we past hand shakes?"

Before she knew it, her arms were around his neck as he was gave her midsection a good squeeze, letting her go just as she began to enjoy it. "I never pegged you for the type to hug," Sakura said, straightening her skirt as it had ridden up. "I guess it's true what they say."

"What would that be?"

"That something new can be learned every day," Sakura said, "If that makes any sense."

"It makes perfect sense."

"Glad to hear it," Sakura said. A few breathless beats passed before Kakashi caught the cue to let her pass. She took the liberty to open his door after she had slipped her shoes on and gave him a slight wave, "Good night."

Kakashi leaned on the doorframe as he watched the young kunoichi navigate her way through the dark to the nearest light, "I hope so."

* * *

_**Probably about a billion spelling errors up there ^ ;) **_


	12. Chapter 12

Sakura held Ino's skirt, perfectly folded, while she awaited the closed door in front of her to open. Ino looked at Sakura with an expressionless face upon answering, before realizing who it was, "Sakura-chan!"

Sakura raised her eyebrows after the delayed greeting, "I brought your skirt."

The same prolonged response followed as Ino dragged her eyes down to Sakura's hands, which held out the purple folded material. She then pulled on a smile, "Thank you!"

From where Sakrua stood, she could smell the strong scent of coffee coming out of Ino's mouth, as well as notice the rather large brown stain on the front of her shirt. "did you pull an all night-er, or should I be worried?"

Ino looked down at herself and laughed uncontrollably for a moment, giving Sakura a short scare. "I was up all night doing paperwork for the flower shop," Ino said, calming down from her purge of laughter. "It's a mess, Sakura."

"The flower shop?"

"Inventory," Ino said. "Things aren't really adding up, and I'm the only one who works there!"

Sakura could see her point, "Do you think there's a ghost messing everything up?"

"I hope so," Ino said, missing the sarcastic tone in Sakura's voice. "How else could I lose five boxes of seeds?"

"F-Five?" Sakura stuttered. "There are like 40 seed packs in a box, right?"

"I'm aware," the blonde said, rubbing the bridge of her nose while she squinted her eyes. "Dad's going to kill me after mom tells him."

"You told your mom?" Sakura asked.

"She's the one who noticed they were missing," Ino groaned. "I promised I'd find them, but I'm pretty sure they're long gone. I either buy more, or continue to search for them."

"Have you ruled out theft?" Sakura asked.

"That's the obvious choice," Ino said. "I mean, when something goes missing, someone must have stolen it, right?"

"Well, yeah," Sakura said slowly.

"They weren't," Ino said. "At least, not by a normal thief. Who the hell even wants to steal seeds?"

"Maybe they wanted to plant them for food-"

"Are you stupid?" Ino snorted. "The seeds were carnations."

"Oh, well," Sakura said, "_that."_

Ino held up the skirt and look it over, "So, did you like wearing it?"

"Yeah," Sakura said. "Listen, Ill help you look for those carnation seeds-"

"I'd rather not think about that now," Ino said, a nervous smile on her face. "You have enough to do, anyway."

"Not with Kakashi helping," Sakura said.

"That's right," Ino hummed, leaning forward a bit. "How is that working out?"

"I feel like you've already asked me this question," Sakura said. "Wait, didn't you the last time I saw you?"

Ino rolled her eyes, "Why would I pressure you for the same question intentionally?"

"B-because," Sakura put two and two together. "You're searching for something!"

"Alright, you caught me," Ino chuckled, "I'm here for your soul!"

"C'mon, just be straight with me," Sakura pleaded, "I don't know if I can live through another one of your schemes."

"I don't scheme," Ino said. "I simply research the inevitable. I want to watch this unfold."

"what are you talking about?"

"Well, you and Kakashi," Ino snorted.

Sakura felt a strange wave in her throat- like acid reflux. "I-I don't even-"

"Oh Sakura," Ino smiled. "I'm just joking around!"

Sakura had the sudden urge to go drown herself. "I-I know!"

However, when she made eye contact with Ino, something strange happened. Ino's eyes seemed to twinkle, and her pupils dilated, as if to say, _"I know everything." _Sakura was generally nervous around Ino, but this was putting her over the edge. It made her wonder- what else did Ino know, that she never mentioned? Her friend was awfully good at breaking the stereotype for blondes.

"Do you want to come in and have lunch with me?" Ino asked, the frightening intuitive stare gone from her eyes- _creepy. _

" I can't," Sakura said, attempting a light voice apart from her cloudy thoughts. "I have to get ready for my class."

"Don't forget to tell me if anything _interesting _happens," Ino winked. The look had come back.

Sakura began to debate if she had befriended the she-devil. Assuming of course that she didn't embarrass herself in front of Kakashi, she promised Ino that she would swing by. Would the girls notice if she skipped out on the tutorial on putting a condom on a cucumber? Sakura almost walked past the vegetable stand in town, but willed herself to go back and pay for the cucumber. _Wait until you find out what you're going to be used for, _she thought to herself. As she approached the park, she began to pick at the waxy skin on the outside of the vegetable, realizing that she had a huge box of condoms in her bag: what would the expression be of pedestrians if the wind knocked her bog off her shoulder? This wasn't vouching well for the rest of her day.

She stopped by the oak tree that the class met at and dropped her beg to the ground, followed by the cucumber. She peered out at the entrance of the park, but didn't see any of the girls.

"They aren't coming," A sudden deep voice said to Sakura's right.

She jumped, startled to see Kakashi- even though he said he'd be there. "H-How would you know?"

"Iruka," he replied simply. "All of them are still taking an exam at the school."

Sakura glanced down at her bag, _it's for the best. _

"I didn't know you liked cucumbers," Kakashi said, walking out from behind the tree.

"I-," Sakura shrugged, "I like them."

"Were you planning on eating it?" he asked, picking it up and examining it in the air.

_Please stop looking at it like that. _

"Do you know if the girls will make it out in time?" Sakura asked. "Should I wait for them?"

"You could," he said.

"Maybe I will-"

"Or you can come back to my place," he continued on, handing the cucumber back to her.

He held onto the other end of it while she tried to pull it away from him, "Let go."

"Are you going to come over?"

Sakura ripped it from his hands, "Sure."

"We can eat something then stop by to see if anyone showed up," he said.

* * *

**_*nothing fun* However, stay tuned for the next ;) _**


	13. Chapter 13

Sakura looked down at the small menu and shrugged, "You don't have to buy me anything."

"It's fine."

Sakura shrugged again, "What are you getting?"

"I don't know."

Sakura put the menu down and scratched her neck, "How was your day?"

"Good."

She took a deep breath and crossed her leg over the other, "Are you going to take your mask off in public?"

Kakashi chuckled beneath his breath without offering a real response.

"I suppose the only people who've seen you without your mask are strangers," Sakura said.

"Mm."

She began to pick at a stray thread on her skirt uncomfortably while he carefully read through the menu, still attempting to keep a conversation afloat. "Have you read any good books lately?"

Kakashi surprised her by taking his eyes off the menu, but let her down once again with his response, "Yeah."

Sakura felt like something wasn't right, but she was too afraid to say anything to him. However it didn't stop her from trying to dance around it, "Is your eye feeling better?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Maybe I'll check it again today," Sakura said.

"It feels fine."

"Oh," she hummed, "Okay."

_Failure. _

Kakashi grunted and put his menu down, "How was _your_ day?"

_Success._

"It was alright," Sakura said . "I'm actually a little happy that class was canceled thus far."

"I thought you would," he chuckled.

"When did you find out, again?" Sakura asked.

"I ran into Iruka when I was on my way to the park and he mentioned it to me," Kakashi said. "He was out on a lunch break."

"I should get the school schedule," Sakura said. "I probably would've sat out there all day waiting for them."

"Lucky you have me hanging around," Kakashi said.

"Yeah," Sakura echoed, "_lucky._"

A shadow cast over their table as a waitress pulled a notepad out. Sakura looked between the two, having still not figured out what she wanted. She nodded to Kakashi quickly and he took the hint.

"I'll have what he's having," Sakura said once he had mumbled out what he wanted.

"The drink, too?" the waitress asked.

Sakura nodded vaguely.

"I didn't know you liked hard liquor," Kakashi noted.

Sakura almost didn't know what he was talking about, "Y-Yeah, I don't mind it."

Kakashi leaned back in his chair, "When did you turn 21?"

"Last March," She said.

"You're almost 22 then, aren't you?" He asked.

"Only a few months away," Sakura said.

"Time flies."

"Relatively."

"We should take our food and eat somewhere else," he suddenly decided.

"We should?"

"It's getting cold outside," he said. "It might rain."

Sakura looked up at the sky, seeing that it was perfectly fine and put her gaze back on him, "You want to go back to your house?" When he nodded, Sakura felt like hitting herself in the face.

"Unless you'd rather stay here," he said, looking back at her with the same intensity.

"I don't care," She said blankly, "We can do whatever you want."

Sakura watched him while he stood from his chair and made his way to their waitress. She stared a hole in the back of his neck as he asked for to-go boxes, and quickly looked away when he made his way back to her. He sat down and crossed his arms, giving Sakura the impression that he was looking at her, but when she lifted her head, his eyes were fixed on something else completely.

"Have you spoken to Naruto lately?" he asked

"No."

Her response was almost too hasty.

"Oh."

"Have you?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Not recently."

"I wonder if he's injured himself again," Sakura thought aloud. "I suppose I should be more caring for him."

"You've never been very helpful towards him," Kakashi noted, "Which is rather odd, considering."

Sakura raised a shoulder, "Considering?"

"You always seem very caring towards your patients," he said, "That's how you are towards me, at least."

"You aren't least," Sakura said beneath her breath. "Naruto and I have never gotten along very well, and I haven't felt like he needs special attention."

"Fair enough," Kakashi said.

"No," Sakura groaned, " it isn't fair."

"What're you going to do about it?"

Sakura smirked, "Probably nothing."

"It isn't really a big deal," Kakashi said. "It's just one of those things that's a little hard to be a part of, you know?"

"What is?"

Kakashi leaned forward, "When you're all over me for my sore eye, and Naruto's watching. Sakura, Naruto has this _thing_ for you."

"I'm well aware of his _thing."_

"Really," Kakashi pressed. "Imagine how it would feel to see someone you were interested in, paying more attention to another person."

"D-Do I really give you so much attention?"

"That isn't the issue in question," he chuckled, though it was a definite 'yes'.

"He'd notice if I was stretching anything," Sakura said, "He's always been able to tell."

"Which isn't hard to believe," Kakashi said.

"You'd probably know, but I'm not his type," Sakura said. "I-I like someone else, anyway."

"That's normal."

"Sure."

"Don't worry, I won't ask who it is," He said. "maybe you could just act a little different, for him."

"You sound like his father," Sakura chuckled.

"I feel like that sometimes," he admitted.

Sakura twisted her napkin around her fingers, "Do you feel like that for me?"

"No."

"That's a relief," Sakura said. "That would make things weird."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You two get along for the basics, though," He said. "You should go on a mission with him."

"He'd mistake it for a date like he did last time," Sakura said uneasily. "Try sharing a hotel room with him when he's hyped up on energy drinks."

"I have," he chuckled, "But he never tried to put the moves on me."

"Yeah," Sakura laughed.

Kakashi tipped his chair back, borderline shaking the table with his other foot, "So, this other guy."

"Who?"

"You said you were into someone who wasn't Naruto," Kakashi said.

"You told me you wouldn't ask who it was," Sakura pointed out.

"Tell me about him."

"Since when did you care about that stuff?" Sakura asked. "This is Ino worthy conversation material."

"Are you calling me girly?"

"I'm calling you a blonde demon."

"Will you tell me about this guy, or will I have to do undercover research?"

Sakura darted her eyes down, "He's tall."

"Is he nice?"

"Yes."

"What else?"

"He's male."

"Is this conversation making you uncomfortable, Sakura?"

She tossed her napkin to the table as the waitress arrived with their boxes and thanked her. She gathered the boxes and began to scoot her chair out, "Shall we go?" Kakashi nodded and raised his eyebrow faintly as Sakura pushed her chair in with her foot. She flipped her hair out of her face and gave him an exasperated look, "Do you have ice cream at your house?"

"I might."

"If you do," She said slowly, "Can I eat it?

"If you want."

"You're such a talkative person," She said sarcastically. "At least you give straight answers."

"Do you like that?"

Sakura handed all the boxes to him except one, in which she opened and picked at it for a few seconds until getting something to chew on. "Sometimes," She said, licking the corner of her mouth. "I suppose you could say I like it when people cushion certain topics, but really, I think everyone does."

"Of course."

"See!" Sakura exclaimed, "You respond so simply. When Guy-senpai says that you're 'cool', he's right."

"That's only compared to him," Kakashi noted. "He and I have very different personalities, I think."

"Obviously," Sakura laughed. "Maybe that's why you two make such a good best-friend pairing."

"We aren't best friends."

"Oh?" Sakura snorted. "I beg to differ."

"Do you?"

Sakura stopped and proceeded to hand the last box to him, "You two are the classic example of best friends."

"I don't see what you're talking about," he shrugged, "maybe you're better at spotting these things than I am."

Sakura smirked, "I think he's jealous of you."

"Guy?" Kakashi questioned. "He's only jealous of his own reflection."

"He's that secure?" Sakura asked.

"Yes."

"I don't think so," She said. "I bet more than anything, that he wants to be like you."

"Why would he want to be like me?"

"Well," Sakura said, "Naruto's expressed on many occasions that you are very popular with the ladies-"

"Hold on," he said, stopping her before she got ahead. "Don't listen to anything Naruto say's."

"Are you saying he was lying?" Sakura poked. "I don't think he would lie."

"Well," he trailed off. "I don't think this is appropriate conversation."

"You're only trying to deter it because you're shy," Sakura grinned. "Why so shy,_ Kaka-senpai_?"

"Please don't pair my name up with that voice," he said bitterly. "It sounds like-"

"Female voices in hentai?" Sakura asked. "Naruto taught it to me."

"Of course he would."

"Of course he _did."_

Kakashi took a deep breath and rolled his head to the side, "I haven't had a girlfriend in a long time."

"You don't seem like the dating type," Sakura said lightly. "You're what we call a free spirit."

"Like a bird?"

Sakura laughed, "A bird without a feeder."

"That just means I don't rely on someone else."

"All birds like a feeder," Sakura said. "It's hard to find specific fattening seeds in the forest."

Kakashi walked ahead of her with his keys in hand, "That must explain why all the birds in town seem overweight."

"We should definitely do something about that," Sakura said, looking up as they approached his building. "Do you ever get lonely being by yourself all the time?"

Kakashi stopped as they both reached his door and looked down at her, "You ask a lot of personal questions."

"Do you want me to stop?"

Kakashi shrugged and unlocked his door, holding it open for her as they both walked inside, "Knock yourself out."

Sakura removed her shoes and carefully lined them up beside his, "Did you know that I have trouble whistling?"

"Is that supposed to be information in payment for mine?" he asked.

"That's how it works," Sakura said. "I tell you something, and you feel obligated to do the same."

"It doesn't work if you tell the other person what's going on."

"True," She began, "but this is a conversation between two old friends. Aren't you comfortable around me?"

Kakashi disappeared into his kitchen, but raised his voice so that Sakura could hear him, "What do you want to know?"

"First," Sakura numbered, trotting to his kitchen, "Do you, or do you not have ice cream?"

Kakashi appeared around the corner in an instant, "What?"

Sakura quickly stopped, her face falling inches away from his neck, and swiftly made her way around him, "I-Ice cream."

"Check my freezer."

Sakura grabbed the handle and began to open it, but stopped. "We should eat first."

"The nurse has spoken."

Sakura snagged a few bowls from his dish dryer and skipped out to his small dining table, "Your place looks different every time I come over."

"If you spent as much time here as I do, it probably wouldn't."

Sakura set a bowl down in front of him and began unfolding the edges to their boxes. She looked down into the box and smiled, "Food is such a lovely thing, isn't it?"

Kakashi hummed.

"I mean, imagine a time when people ate roots and bone marrow," Sakura said meekly, "Then compare it to this."

"That was also a time when people walked around naked and didn't have to pay for electricity bills," Kakashi said. "Every era had its perks."

"You'd rather scavenge through the forest in the nude, than pay for electricity bills?"

"Don't judge unless you're ready to be," He said with tongue-in-cheek.

"I don't understand where this conversation is going," Sakura said crisply. "Do you want some of this? I think it's duck."

"You _think_?"

Sakura dumped a spoonful into her dish, "I ordered the same as what you ordered."

"So essentially, when you ask me if I want some of it, I'll be getting it either way?"

"You could say that," Sakura said, flowering her words up. "Since you ordered it you should know what meat it's supposed to be."

"I picked at random."

"Ah," Sakura chuckled, "You're as bad as I am!"

"Apparently."

"You can try it first," Sakura said.

Kakashi submerged the serving spoon into the box and put a fair amount into his bowl, keeping a steady eye on Sakura as she watched him, "Don't look so excited." He slid his mask down beneath his chin and rushed a bit into his mouth.

There was a beat of silence as Sakura's hand shot out to stop him as he prepared to push his mask back into place. "No," She said sternly. "Let me look at you."

"You're so discreet," Kakashi said sarcastically, "So timid."

Sakura gulped and shot her eyes back and forth, "This is weird."

"I know," he mumbled, "You're bruising my wrist-"

"What the hell is wrong with you, Kakashi?" Sakura questioned.

"Thus far," he began, "You're a little too close."

Sakura let go of him and fell back into her chair, "You're so handsome."

Kakashi watched her for a moment while she picked at her food, and appeared to be brooding. "I'm sorry."

Sakura looked up abruptly, "Women already like you, so why not put the mask down and let them go wild?"

"That sounds horrific."

"Wouldn't you like that?" She asked.

He shrugged, "Maybe, for a little while."

"It's good that you showed me, right?" She rambled, "That must mean that we're closer than I thought, considering that you haven't shown anyone else as far as I know-"

"It's inevitable," Kakashi said. "I can't continually go out of my way to keep my mask on, but I manage to do it somehow."

"This should feel different," Sakura moaned. " I should be giddy."

"Giddy?"

Sakura shook her head, "Wrong choice of words- but I shouldn't feel so uncomfortable."

"You're uncomfortable?"

"Kakashi," she said stiffly, "I really like this."

"You like it, now?"

"I like-you!" She paused, "I like your house as well, and the neighborhood you live in!"

Sakura was horrible at confessions, mainly because she didn't realize she was doing one until it was reaching the last words in the sentence.

Kakashi stood from his chair, "I think you should leave."

"I-I should," She agreed, her face burning. Her chair leg caught on the strap of her bag as she tried to get to her feet and tipped it upside down while also managing to trip her. The condoms she had packed for her class, strewn about the floor as she looked at Kakashi in horror. "D-Don't look!"

"Sakura-"

Already on the floor, Sakura pawed at the small packages to gather them in a pile by her knees. "I-I can't believe this," She cried out. "My life is a comedy act so people can look and laugh at my misfortunes!"

Kakashi kneeled down to her level in mid laugh, "S-Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked up at him with small beads of tears in her eyes, "There are condoms all over your floor."

"I can see them," He said, flicking a few in her direction. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm an embarrassment," she sniffled. "I'm clumsy, and I get rejected on spot."

It might have been pity, but he settled his hand on her shoulder and gave her a look. A look that could have meant anything. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

Sakura smiled lightly as he tightened his grip on the material on her shirt, then frowned, "Didn't you just reject me?"

Kakashi sighed through his mask and put his other hand on her remaining shoulder. She tensed as his fingertips slid up the side of her neck, _He's going to strangle me? _They cupped the sides of her face and drew her in until she could feel the heat escaping the material over his mouth, changing her whole perception of what was actually going on.

"You know a lot of about me," He said. "You might even know too much."

Somehow, even though both of his hands felt busy, his mask slid down. Sakura was too hazed to tell if he let go of her at any point, and certainly couldn't distinguish anything as he leaned forward and covered her mouth with his. Her chest buzzed and her stomach filled with nerves as she limply let him cross boundaries she, at one point, thought existed.

Condoms of all shapes, sizes, and colors, crunched beneath her as he let her down easily on her back. The setting was almost too available as Sakura realized that there was no getting away after a certain point. The point she happily let fly by as Kakashi pulled her shirt off, and unhooked her bra. A point she waved at as her skirt disappeared and her underwear along with it. There was no getting up and stating how inappropriate it was as one of Kakashi's hands reached beneath her and began unwrapping something that was meant to be a demonstration-he wasn't putting it on a cucumber; he was putting it on himself.


	14. Chapter 14

She stared down at her toes with wide eyes, listening as Naruto's voice rang through Kakashi's apartment. Her shirt was on backwards, and her bra only hooked on one clasp. Unable to gather her skirt, she was rushed to his bathroom with her underwear half way up her legs. It forced her to realize how uncomfortable this situation was if anyone else found out about it. When Naruto had forced his way in to tell Kakashi something "important", both were spun out of control. Fortunately, Naruto wasn't the vigilant sort- therefore not noticing a box of condoms spread out across his floor. _Now _Sakura could see how negative things could work out for the better: Naruto may not notice an enemy hiding in the bushes, but that also means he wouldn't catch the clues of her sleeping with their teacher.

It felt so obvious to her how twisted it was, but thinking about what they had done, really only made her want more. Taking laws into account; they were both adults. She had so many questions to ask him about _when_ he found her attractive, or perhaps _why _he was able to look pass her status compared to his- but Sakura could answer those. She had recently found him attractive, and when it all boiled down- She could care less about how may years he had been her superior. The more she thought, the more she agreed with herself and the more she began to dismiss the negatives. Perhaps it wasn't the best route to take, considering that in many eyes Kakashi may as well have been taking advantage of her, but that wasn't how she felt- as she sat hidden in his bathroom.

When she saw him, she was almost pushed back a few feet. She had seen him lose his cool on many occasions whether it had been through crying or in a fit of rage but the concerned look on his face was completely different. Seconds after Naruto said his farewells, Kakashi had ripped his mask under his chin to accommodate how fast he was breathing. _Was he having a heart attack? _The way he had leapt from her, and somehow smuggled Sakura unnoticed into another room could explain the most of it- but there was more than that written on his face when Sakura appeared.

She clutched her hands to her chest and took a sharp breath, "I-I think I'm going to pick my things up off your floor!"

Kakashi's throat bobbed as he swallowed, clenching his jaw as he stared down at her white lace underwear with the invisible cloud of "corruption" hanging around him. He followed her a bit as he stared a hole into her clothing, deep in contemplation about something Sakura could roughly guess was about.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura's hands clamped, squeezing a handful of condoms until he wrappers were easily crunched. She wondered what would happen if she looked at him, inferring somewhere along the line of spontaneous combustion or heart failure. She also questioned where her attitude had gone as soon as she met his eye contact the first time in five long minutes. "Mm?"

"I'm sure that wasn't how you imagined it would be."

Sakura knew he was right, nodding to herself with raised eyebrows. She, along with most dreamers, imagined a time after sex where they would share life ambitions and coo how much they loved each other- but had they not been interrupted, she imagined Kakashi would have fallen asleep; he did it everywhere. After all, what else did she have to compare it to? She was well aware that most fantasies didn't come to fruition in the real world, and especially not for an already unbelievable relationship such as this.

She zipped her bag closed and pulled it up by it's strap until it could be set on his table. Looking at him again, her heart indeed began to race, "I-I want to do it again."

He cleared his throat, briefly licking the corner of his mouth without offering a verbal response. Sakura was unfazed.

"Don't you?"

A grin quickly caught on his lips, "I wouldn't mind."

"I suppose is some sick way, knowing how close we were to being caught," Sakura paused, "Didn't it feel good?"

"It felt better before," He hummed.

Sakura pulled the edge of her shirt down and curled her toes, "That said, I don't really know what else I can do here. I don't- I don't know anything."

"You know how to properly dress a wound," he said, "That's more important."

"I don't know," Sakura chuckled, "This seems a little more significant, at the moment."

"You can always leave," He said in a moderate tone. "Or you could stay a while."

"If that's an invitation, I'd gladly stand up the group of girls on their way to the park," Sakura beamed.

"Oh, I don't know about that," he said, second guessing.

"How come?"

"You of all people should know how I feel about abandonment," he said, smiling.

"_Those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum, _I know," Sakura laughed, "I was there when you said it."

"You quoted me easily," He said.

Sakura snorted, "I don't think this levels the same as leaving someone on the battlefront, Kakashi."

"It starts small," he began, "then pretty soon all your promises break."

"I'll follow your opinion if you find my skirt."

"Would you help me?" He asked, moving closer to his kitchen until he was out of sight.

Sakura pursed her lips, "No."

"What if I told you it was two feet behind you?"

Sakura pivoted her foot, reluctant to look where he had pointed out, "Oh."

"What do you like on your toast?"

"Do you enjoy jumping topics so easily?" She asked, whipping her zipper up over her hips to the clasp.

He chuckled beneath his breath, "Jam or butter?"

"I don't even remember you doing that," Sakura continued.

"Remember what?"

"Nether mind."

She put her hands on her hips and looked around briefly before stalking off to his kitchen where he eagerly held out a toasted piece of bread to her, "Here. "

Sakura received it from him and looked it over, "What kind is this?"

"Mm?"

She took a bite and spoke with her mouth full, "S-Strawberry."

"Do you like that kind of jam?"

"I like strawberries," she nodded, "For everything."

"You use strawberry shampoo, right?"

"I suspect that's something you just happen to know about me."

Kakashi smirked, "You're hair just blatantly smells like them."

Sakura eyed him, "Do you smile this often?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've smiled a lot ever since you took your mask off," She chuckled. "Are you always smiling?"

"Only when I'm happy," He said, "Like most people."

"Back on the topic of strawberries-"

"Look who's changing subjects, now!" He exclaimed, instinctively moving closer until nearly stepping on her toes.

"You have a nice smile," Sakura settled. "I like it, a lot."

"Don't tell anyone about it," he warned, "I might take you hostage."

Sakura finished off her toast and teasingly brushes her crumbs off using his shirt, "We both know I wouldn't protest to that."

"_Both _of us?" he trailed on, "this is news to me."

"Don't you know I'd willingly living in here?" Sakura asked, running her fingers through her hair. "For now, I need to be on my way, though."

"That's a shame," he said, following her at a close distance all the way to his front door.

Sakura, having taken her bag, began to put her shoes on, "maybe I'll stop by soon as we can have some toast, again."

"Is that lingo for-"

"You should double-check that I didn't leave anything else here," She said.

"Got it."

She stood and gave him a quick glance, "See you, Kakashi."

His shadow seemed to cast over her as she swayed to the side a bit, not exactly sure what she was waiting for. Kakashi's eyes didn't even seem to blink, "Bye."

Sakura took a gulp of air, "Y-yeah!"

She lingered for a few moments more, in which Kakashi took a step closer, "Can I-Can-" he quickly leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "Is that okay?"

"Well, you," She punched the air, "You just fucked me on your floor, so I guess- Yeah, it's okay."

"I feel a little uncomfortable now."

"M-me, too," She mumbled, "I'm going to leave."

"Goodbye, Sakura."

* * *

**_Oh, hey there x) _**


	15. Chapter 15

"Are you ever going to grow your hair out, again?" Ino asked, winding strands of her golden locks around her fingers next to Sakura.

Sakura frowned slightly, suddenly recalling the day she was mistaken for a man when she was sitting at the bar. "Do you think I should?"

Ino shrugged, "I miss arguing with you over who has more inches."

"We argue over plenty," Sakura grumbled.

"Sunrise, sunset!" Ino sang, "I miss your hair the way it was!"

"Are you trying to peer pressure me?" Sakura questioned, picking at her fingernails.

Ino twisted around her chair and stood, her feet clapping loudly against Sakura's linoleum kitchen floor. "Don't you miss braiding it?"

Sakura shook her head.

"What about the femininity you once had?"

"_Once had, _Ino?" Sakura said, clenching her jaw.

"Theoretically," Ino chuckled, dancing away from Sakura uneasily. "You can't do much with the length your hair is at now."

"I can put it up."

"Messily."

Sakura eyed Ino as she regressed further from the kitchen, "I think I have let it grow, I think."

"You think?"

"I think."

Ino scratched her chin, "Now that you mention it, your hair _does _seem to be touching your shoulders."

"Thank for noticing."

"You're welcome- Does this mean you're going to let it grow?"

"Should I?"

"Yes."

"On what basis?" Sakura asked, "Why?"

"Apart from being able to whip your hair around when it's wet in a sexy way; making the guy sharing the unisex hot spring with you giggle-"

"You're swaying off track."

"_Besides _that, it frames the face nicely."

"I suppose I do miss brushing it out," Sakura hummed.

"Do you even need to brush your hair now?"

"No."

"With untangled, straight hair like yours, you would be perfect for long hair."

"D-Do you think guys like long hair?"

"Didn't we live by that rule when we were 12?"

Sakura chuckled, "It never came to anything, did it?"

"No, I don't remember anything spectacular," Ino admitted. "However, I think men of older generations appreciate it."

"R-really?"

"You're nervous all of a sudden," Ino noted.

"No I'm not."

Ino pressed on, "That's debatable, though, because I've known a few men to be with women who have hair like yours."

"Short and plain?"

"Exactly so, and they never seemed to be any less in love."

"Does this mean we're going on anther hunt for the men of our dreams?" Sakura laughed.

"Everyday is like that, Sakura," Ino said, raising her eyebrow with a sheer grin.

"Sometimes things happen," Sakura said.

"Without looking?" Ino snorted, "Impossible."

"it's true."

"Why would you be so sure?"

"Because I have short hair."

Ino sunk down into Sakura's recliner, "This must be from all the extracurricular experiences you have had, right?"

"Everyone knows I sleep around," Sakura added to the sarcastic sentence.

"But really," Ino said, "We aren't getting any younger."

"I had no idea we were about to reach our mid-life crisis."

"Did you know that Tenten is engaged?"

"That's a rumor."

Ino rolled her eyes, "It could happen!"

"The rumor involved her and Guy-sensei," Sakura chuckled shortly, realizing the parallels to her own life.

"I forgot about that bit," Ino shivered. "It gives me Goosebumps- what sort of loser would go after his student?"

_Kakashi._

"Y-Yeah," Sakura said, "it's very unethical."

_I'm going to hell._

"I'm glad it's just some joke someone made up," Ino said.

"Weren't you into student-teacher relationships for a while, though?"

"isn't everyone?" Ino snickered.

Sakura adjusted in her chair, "I don't understand you at all."

"Those things are great fantasies and stories, but replacing those characters with people we know? It's wrong."

"Completely."

_I wonder what he's doing._

"Enough with that," Ino chirped, "Are you ready to go?"

Sakura looked around, "I forgot to eat something this morning."

"Why didn't you?"

"You showed up early and started talking.." Sakura trailed off, "Could we stop at a food cart on the way?"

"Of course."

"Let me just get my things," Sakura mumbled. She folded off her chair and began digging through her bag to double-check for everything she needed to hand out to the girls. She inevitably came upon the box of condoms and stopped in her organization to stare at them.

_I counted exactly 15 to hand out to them a few days ago. _

She dared herself to look at Ino.

_There are only 14._

"Ino-chan?"

Ino turned on her heel, "What?"

"I just realized that I might not have enough, uh, condoms to hand out!"

Ino's expression was almost sideways, "Yeah?"

"Could we also stop by the store to buy some?"

"Sure."

"G-great!"

_My face is red- she's going to notice._

"Sakura?"

Sakura bit her lip.

"We should stop by the street vendor that sells those things that Anko always eats."

"Dango?"

Ino nodded, "I had some the other day and they sound good."

"Okay."

_Cleared._

"How come you don't have enough of those?"

Sakura raised her shoulders, "I-I guess I just missed one."

"Those come in packs of 15, so I don't understand what could have happen to the-" Ino began to laugh, "You're saving one for yourself!"

_That's right, Ino. _

"You caught me!" Sakura giggled.

"Better safe than sorry," Ino appealed.

_Kakashi thought so, too._

Sakura gathered her bag, "We'd better get going."

They both shuffled into their shoes, filing out of Sakura's house. Ino waited behind her as Sakura locked her door, "I can see my breath."

"It's getting colder."

Ino peered out to the street,"pretty soon, couples will be embracing each other to keep warm."

"You invest too much of your time thinking about relationships."

"Probably."

"You've recently stopped dating the man who works at the post office," Sakura said lightly.

"He wanted to have sex."

"You're a virgin?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Sakura-chan."

"Fair enough."

"So, what do you have to tell me?" Ino tossed out.

"Mm?"

"You weren't dozing off just now, were you?" Ino chuckled.

"I'm not sure anyone can do that while walking," Sakura elaborated.

"Besides Kakashi, right?"

The hair on the back of Sakura's neck stood, "Yeah?"

"What's he like?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, "You know him just as well as anyone."

"But you know him better, right?"

"Why are you so interested?"

Ino clicked her tongue, "Can you just answer my question?"

"Oh," Sakura began, "Sure."

"And?"

"He's-He's nice," Sakura came up with, "Nicer than I thought he'd be."

"You pictured him to be mean?"

"Not at all!" Sakura exclaimed, "He's forward."

"Eh? I don't believe you!"

Sakura kicked a tin can," You don't have to."

"Tell me something he's said," Ino ordered, "A line."

"Well," Sakura said, concealing her blush with the side of her hand, "He helped me answer the questions the girls wrote on the note cards from class."

"What of that?" Ino asked,

"He answered _all _of them."

"A-All?"

Sakura nodded, "Do you remember the questions we asked when we took that class?"

Ino's cheeks intensified, "Don't remind me."

"It was weird."

"How?"

Sakura shrugged, "I shouldn't be telling you this."

"We're best friends, aren't we?" Ino said, flustered.

"Of course we are," Sakura insisted. "I think it would be disrespectful for me to change his whole reputation in one conversation with you."

"It's not as if you're telling the entire village."

"I'm telling you," Sakura said, "_You."_

Ino shrugged.

Sakura bit her lip, "Maybe, I will anyway."

"I knew you'd come around."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "We're so stereotypical; two women gossiping on the way to buy contraceptives."

"We're good enough to have our own television show," Ino laughed.

"At first, but Naruto would steal the spot light and it would turn into an action show. I doubt anyone would even want to watch a show about gossiping girls in the first place."

They both sighed a heavy breath.

"Anyway," Ino groaned, "Can you give me some insight on the mysterious ninja from Konoha?"

"Are we talking about Shino or Kakashi?"

"You have bad jokes," Ino snorted.

"Kakashi is very laid back, but I think you already knew that," Sakura said.

"Does he have a messy house?"

"That's borderline stalker, Ino," Sakura said, shaking her head. "He's not very unorganized."

"So, you've been inside his house?"

"Yes," Sakura said, just in time as they both located the convenience store.

"I'll wait out her for you," Ino smiled, "I wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong impression."

"How kind of you," Sakura said sarcastically. "Hold my bag."

Sakura dumped her bag into Ino's arms, laughing maliciously as Ino complained about the weight. She dug through her pocket for her wrinkled two dollars and made her way uneasily to the counter.

"Which kind?"

Sakura, refusing to make eye contact, focused on the store clerks chin, "T-Those right behind you."

"Two seventy-five."

"Let me just run out and ask my friend for a few quarters!-" Sakura was startled as a hand settled on her shoulder. "Ino-cha-"

"It's been a while, Sakura-chan."

"Hinata!"

"D-Did I startle you?-I'm so sorry."

"Not at all," Sakura beamed, "How are you?"

"I-I'm alright," Hinata said, "Are you going to pay for your-your... C-Condoms?"

Sakura's face flushed, "You wouldn't happen to have three quarters to spare?"

"S-sure," Hinata said, swiftly pulling out her wallet.

Sakura caught a glimpse at all the money she had stashed, realizing how pathetic she probably looked carrying crumpled bills in her pockets. "Thank you, Hinata."

"it's my pleasure," Hinata said, "I-I have to get going though."

"Maybe you and I could hang out some time," Sakura offered. "I haven't seen much of you."

Hinata nodded, "Okay."

Hinata disappeared, and Sakura meekly paid the two-seventy five, "No bag."

"Have a good day."

Sakura nodded in reply with a masculine grunt, pushing the door open and speeding her way back to Ino. She forced the box into her bag and took a sharp breath, "I've never been so humiliated."

"Did the store clerk flirt with you?" Ino guessed.

"Hinata was there- I must have scared the living daylights out of her."

"What did you do?" Ino asked, anticipating Sakura's replied with a wide grin.

"For starters; she nearly choked on her tongue when she saw what I was buying- then I asked her for money!"

"You shameless fox."

"Don't make light of it," Sakura cried.

"Maybe she'll start a rumor about you," Ino said, "You'll be known as the town tramp."

"The town already has one of those."

Ino paused, putting her hands on her hips, "Isn't that a line from a movie?"

"I knew that comment wouldn't offend you."

Ino smirked, "Do you talk like this with Kakashi?"

Sakura stiffly grabbed Ino's elbow, "Stop."

"For what-"

"I-I don't feel comfortable talking about him to you," Sakura bit out.

"I'm sorry," Ino mumbled, pulling away from Sakura. "Maybe I should go-"

"No," Sakura said slowly, "Stay."

"Why don't you want me to know anything about him?"

Sakura rolled her head to the side, "Why have you taken such an interest in him, lately."

"I don't know," Ino said. "I'm just curious, because he doesn't talk much when he comes to the bar with everyone."

"That's just his personality."

Ino leaned forward, "You see, but now you're hanging out with him so much so he can help you with this school thing and you're saying that he's not like that."

"I don't know why," Sakura admitted. "He's always calm, but-but could you believe that he would answer all those questions with me in the room?"

"Girls that age are perverted when they can mask behind an anonymous letter."

"And-And then there was more."

"Like what?"

Sakura swallowed, "Y-you know, we're going to be late for class if you want to help me teach today."

"Sure, let's hurry."


End file.
